Sandwich a Day: Napoli at Avec Wine and Food in Truckee, CA

In this great country of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around the country. Got a sandwich we should check out? Let us know.—The Mgmt.

[Photographs: Carrie Vasios]

On the way down from the ski mountains of Tahoe, we usually hit the gas peddle and don't stop until 6,000 vertical feet later, when we reach the In N' Out burger in Auburn. Perhaps because it was the last trip of the season and we were reluctant to leave the peaks, we decided to stop for lunch in Truckee, a mountain town of 16,000 people on I-80.

We were certainly surprised when we wound up at Avec Wine and Food, a positively charming wine bar-market-cafe tucked off the main road. (When we asked for directions, we were literally told to go "over the bridge and through the woods.")

The Napoli ($8.25) is a large, pressed foccacia panino. The bulk of the sandwich is a layer of gooey, melted mozzarella, topped with pieces of salty prosciutto. Sliced tomatoes and torn fresh basil make it an iteration on a traditional caprese. The olive oil and vinegar dressing brings the sandwich to the next level by adding moisture and imparting a bit of fruitiness and acid. Paired with a velvety red cab, it made for the most elegant lunch I've ever eaten in ski pants.